Letter to Margaret Weichert, Deputy Director for management - Rep. Delgado Calls on Office of Personnel Management to Mitigate Impact of Shutdown on Federal Employees' Dental & Vision Health Insurance

Letter

Dear Acting Director Weichert:

I am deeply concerned by the government shutdown's effect upon the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). I urge your office to use any means at its disposal to ensure that all federal employees impacted by the shutdown--those who are furloughed or working without pay--are not billed directly for dental and vision premiums as they go without a paycheck.

As you may know, federal workers and their families who receive dental and vision insurance through FEDVIP cover their premiums with paycheck deductions or pay provider allotments. In the absence of a paycheck, these deductions and allotments have stalled. Per the guidance issued by your Office on January 23, federal employees will be billed directly for their premiums after missing three consecutive pay periods--and must pay their premiums in a timely manner or risk losing coverage.

In other words, government employees who have not been paid in over a month will soon be forced to cover their premiums or risk losing their dental and vision insurance. New York's 19th District is home to more than 4,200 government employees, many of whom will miss their second paycheck on January 25. FEDVIP dental and vision plans can cost up to $100 a week--a significant burden for families already struggling to make ends meet during the shutdown.

As I continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to reopen the government, I ask that you explore all possibilities to ensure that federal workers currently going without pay not suffer any additional financial hardships. Thank you for your careful consideration of this issue.

Sincerely,

Antonio Delgado

Member of Congress

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